Black Unicorn
|image=Gundam Banshee 02 Front View Ep 5.png |english=Black Unicorn |kanji=黒いユニコーン |romaji=Kuroi Yunikon |episode=5 |series=Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn |japanese airdate=May 19, 2012 |series name=Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn |p=At the Bottom of the Gravity Well }} Black Unicorn is the fifth episode of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. Plot In the stratosphere, the Torrington Base is contacted by an envoy from the Vist Foundation, who explains to the air traffic controller that they are launching a mission with a prototype mobile suit via a Base Jabber . The suit, the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 "Banshee" launches from the stratosphere and ignores the controller's warnings. On the ground, both Banagher and Riddhe are reeling from the destruction caused by the AMA-X7 Shamblo when the Banshee descends into the city. Both are shocked at the existence of a black Unicorn Gundam, and Riddhe assumes its an ally until the Banshee fires its Armed Armor BS. He tries firing at it with the MSN-001A1 Delta Plus beam cannon, but gets fired on and is forced to use the remains of the Shamblo as cover. However, the Banshee fires on the remains, leaving Riddhe trapped in the wreckage. Sill distraught from the death of Loni Garvey, an exhausted Banagher is unable to escape the area as the Banshee tackles the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam hard, knocking him unconscious. When Banagher wakes up, he is on board the Ra Cailum, and notices Riddhe trying to talk to Alberto Vist. He reels in shock when he sees the Banshee next to the Unicorn, and is further shocked when the pilot is revealed as Marida Cruz. Just then, the La+ System activates, showing the location of Laplace's Box. Banagher then locks himself inside the Gundam and locks the La+ System, stumping the engineers. When Riddhe presses Alberto about the existence of the Banshee, Alberto tells him that the suit exists and that he shouldn't ask questions. When Riddhe attempts to pursue Alberto, he is grabbed by Marida, who he assumes is the pilot of the Banshee. Alberto tells Riddhe to not meddle in a family matter, and tells him that Banagher is Cardeas' illegitimate son. Just then, the hatch opens on the Unicorn. On board the Garuda, Martha Vist Carbine is frustrated with Alberto, who says that Banagher locked the system to deny their access to the final coordinates of Laplace's Box. Martha says that Banagher's stubborn refusal was in his blood, and that she'll resort to using Mineva to change his mind. In a one-on-one conversation, Martha compliments her alias of "Audrey Burne", but states her intention to seal Laplace's Box, and claims that Mineva left Zeon to do the same thing. She tells Mineva that the Unicorn would soon be moved to the Garuda, and that Banagher had locked access to the La+ System. She then reveals to a surprised Mineva that Cardeas was Banagher's father. Mineva realizes that she wants her to convince Banagher to give up the codes, and Martha adds an extra incentive by guaranteeing a place for the Zeon remnants. However, Mineva argues for them to release Marida. Marthat counters that she is serving them willingly, although they reconditioned her. She counters that Zeon also reconditioned her after the Neo Zeon War. Martha states that she simply released Marida's introverted revenge against a flawed male-dominated society. On board the Ra Cailum, the soldiers are frustrated by the presence of the civilian Vist Foundation. However, Bright Noa states that they are acting under orders from the General Staff Headquarters, and that the Foundation was part of them. Although their operating circumstances changed, Bright states that their mission was to hunt down the Garencieres. He tells the crew that they would launch the Unicorn to the Garuda via Base Jaber, and Riddhe leaves the meeting. Later, Bright talks to Meran about the Garuda's royalty supplies, and heads to Banagher's cell to talk to him. Bright says that Banagher was making things tough for the interrogators. Banagher laments that f anyone finds the coordinates, "that place" would become a battlefield and that more civilians like Loni would die. Bright asks if Banagher escaped the Garencieres, but he says that the group simply let him go, and that Zinnerman was unhappy with the operation. Bright agrees based on the movements of the ship, and asks if he was given free will despite being a technical prisoner. Banagher says that he never felt as though Zeon was an enemy, since was a civilian and not a soldier taught to discern friend from foe. As Bright leaves, he tells Banagher not to give up because he has strength, though he says it was dumb luck that he found the Unicorn. Bright says that it may have been pure luck, but those were the circumstances of all the Gundam pilots before him, and that he chose to pilot the Gundam on his own. He asks what gave Banagher the resolve to pilot the suit, and he says there's someone he wanted to help: Mineva. After the meet, Bright heads to the communications room where he meets with Beltorchika Irma, now working for Luio & Company, He asks if the Dogosse Gier-class ''ship, the ''General Revil, ''had been launched. Beltorchika says they mobilized on the orders of General Staff HQ for a covert operation, and Bright concludes they want the Nahel Argama in order to eliminate all those with knowledge of Laplace's Box. Beltorchika asks Bright if he has a plan since the ''General Revil ''is the flagship of the Federation's reconstruction efforts, and that the ''Nahel Argama ''wouldn't stand a chance against it. Bright asks to contact the ''Garencieres ''using Luio's contacts with the Federation and Zeon. Though she questions him about it, Bright says he has a negotiator for them, but he doesn't like Zeons. Bright's negotiator is none other than former White Base crew member Kai Shiden. He explains to the ''Garencieres ''crew that once the Unicorn was transferred, that both the Gundam and Mineva would be out of their reach. Zinnerman is suspicious of Kai, but he says that Londo Bell doesn't like the conspirings between Vist and General Staff HQ, who use the military when they need it. He mentions Londo Bell's commander and Vist's competitor Luio & Co, and that their only goal was to stop the deepening ties between the Vist Foundation and the Federation. Zinnerman asks for a single Base Jaber for the guerilla operation, but isn't sure if they can pull it off due to a lack of fuel. Kai terms it a "joint" operation, giving them backup in the form of the ''Nahel Argama, ''which has been on standby in space for nearly a month. On board the ship, Otto Midas tries to get his crew to relax despite them being anxious for a fight. Mihiro Oiwakken heads to his quarters, where she gives him the message from Bright Noa. Trying to stay calm himself, the orders of a joint operation with Neo Zeon shock him enough to spit out his tea all over the others. On board the ''Ra Cailum ''MS Deck, the crew prepares to transfer the Unicorn to the ''Garuda. ''Banagher, guarded by Vist Foundation agents, spots Riddhe and asks him where Mineva is, but he sulks off. Trying to make a run for the Gundam, Bright intercepts Banagher and leads him away from the handlers, who are stopped by the Tri-Stars. He tells Banagher that Mineva is on board the ''Garuda, ''and the ''Garencieres ''would launch a rescue mission during the Unicorn's transfer. After Mineva's rescue, Bright tells Banagher to head to the ''Nahel Argama ''which would be waiting in space, and that it's the only way to keep both the Gundam and Mineva safe from the Foundation. Bright believes that Banagher was actually chosen by the Gundam like his predecessors, and that the rest of it was up to him. He believes that if he is a true Gundam pilot, a Newtype, then he can shake off despair. On board the ''Garuda, ''Mineva recalls Martha's words to her that her own pride was getting Neo Zeons killed in battle, and that the only way they could survive was to coexist with the Vist Foundation. On the ''Ra Cailum, ''the Tri-Stars prepare to launch their RGM-96X Jesta and wonder what Bright said to Banagher, but Nigel Garrett tells his wingmen to stay calm, and that Riddhe was also unaware of the mysterious situation. Inside the Delta Plus, Bright contacts Riddhe and tells him to keep the Unicorn safe, and that he could make his own decisions separate from his father's. The two Gundams launch first, with Marida holding the Gundam at gunpoint on a Base Jabber, followed by the Tri-Stars and Riddhe. In flight, Marida contacts Banagher and tells him that all his weapons were disabled. Banagher calls her Marida, but she claims she is Ple 12 only. Her new master, Alberto, cuts off communications between her and Banagher and tells her to ignore him. They approach the ''Garuda, ''but the ''Garencieres ''pulls up alongside them, launching their sneak attack with a team of AMS-129 Geara Zulus. The ''Garuda ''responds by launching its RAS-96 Anksha units in defense. The ''Ra Cailum ''wants to attack, but Meran tells them to get the Tri-Stars and Riddhe to focus on transporting the Unicorn. On the ''Garenciers, ''Zinnerman asks Flaste to move in so he can board the ''Garuda ''to rescue Mineva. Marida prepares to fire on the ''Garencieres, ''but she is stopped by a memory of Zinnerman. Banagher then makes his move and is tossed off the Base Jabber. Banagher then kicks Watts Stepney's Jesta off of its Base Jabber and hijacks it. He circles Marida and tells her that Zinnerman is planning to rescue Mineva, but an Anksha intercepts Banagher and knocks the Gundam off the Base Jabber. The suits wrestle before Banagher crushes the Anksha's hand and sends it into the sea below, getting back on the Base Jabber. He then sees another Base Jabber, but is shocked when he sees Zinnerman tethered to it, attempting to board midair. Alberto tells Marida to shoot the Jabber down, but Banagher stops her. Through the radio chatter, Riddhe realizes that the ''Garencieres ''was going to rescue Mineva, and flies off towards the Garuda. The two Gundams duel with beam sabers, Banagher telling Marida that she and Zinnerman shouldn't be fighting. Alberto cuts Banagher off and tells Marida that he's trying to confuse her, Marida then activates the Banshee's NT-D System, but Banagher stops the Unicorn's from activating as well. In the Garuda hangar, Riddhe intercepts Alberto, Martha, and Mineva and lands the Delta Plus inside. Martha asks what Riddhe's doing, but he says that they shouldn't kill him since he's Ronan's son. Mineva asks what he plans to do after they leave, but he has no plan. Mineva aks if he's trying to protect her, the box, or his family name, but Riddhe doesn't care about those. He says that they are all pawns of the explosion of Laplace's Box, and that he wouldn't allow the world to fall into the hands of Zeon. Alberto says that they have to protect the Box, but Riddhe says that Syam had luck on his side when he found the Box, and used it to gain power in the Federation, but Zeon called for Spacenoid independence, followed by the One Year War, which made both Syam and the Federation government realize the power of the Box. Mienva realizes that Riddhe knows what the Box is, and says that it's everyone right to know. She feels Banagher's presence, but Riddhe wants her to join him and says the Unicorn is dangerous. The "curse" of the Universal Century was the revelation that Newtypes existed, and Mineva wonders what he means. Riddhe says that even if he lives in an imperfect system, he'll fight to defend it, but Zinnerman fires on the hangar, launching a flash grenade followed by a smoke grenade to cover Mineva's escape. The Unicorn and Banshee take their fight to the top of the ''Garuda, ''where they create a Psycofield. Inside the hangar, Alberto tells Martha that the two Gundams' resonance created the Psycofield, which Martha concludes would lead to an "Axis shock" which the ''Garuda ''couldn't survive. Another Anksha attempts to attack Banagher, but it is destroyed by the Psycofield. Zinnerman gives Mineva a pack for her to escape to the ''Garencieres. The exploding Anksha damages the hangar of the Garuda. ''Mineva clings to the edge of the hangar when Riddhe tries to get her Mineva doesn't take his hand, and she says that she is a Zabi, and that she'll find out the Box's meaning for herself, which she prefers to war. If the imperfect system that Riddhe speaks of only stifles mankind, then she'd be committing crimes as great as her father and grandfather. Riddhe asks if she wants to fight the world alone, and he says that no one believes that the world will change and that no one cares about a future they won't live to see, but Mineva says she's not alone in her fight and leaps off the ''Garuda. ''Banagher flies past the Banshee and the Unicorn activates its NT-D, catching Mineva in midair. Banagher hops on top of the ''Garencieres ''as Riddhe cries in frustration in his cockpit. Mineva apoligizes to Flaste for the trouble, and he tells Banagher that he has to get Marida and Zinnerman. They said they could hear each other, and Banagher leaves Mineva on the Garencieres. Marida leaps off the ''Garuda, ''but Banagher forces her back into the hangar, with Zinnerman avoiding the crashing Gundam. Riddhe tries to take a shot at both suits, but Marida tosses off Banagher and uses the Armed Armor VN to tear Riddhe's Delta Plus apart, confusing the suit for a Gundam. She declares that she will destroy the enemy, the Gundam, as Banagher implores her to calm down. Banagher tells Marida that her true self is fighting the conditioning, and Zinnerman steps up to the Banshee. He realizes the Foundation reconditioned her. He implores her to return to Zeon. She remembers when Zinnerman handed her a photo of his late daughter Marie, to which he named Ple 12 in memory of. Zinnerman tells Marida they could return to space together and that he didn't want to be alone again. Banagher sees Riddhe start shooting the Banshee with a pistol, but he loses consciousness. Seeing herself be called a "Gundam" Marida believes she is the enemy, and remembers all the people in her life. The Banshee's NT-D then deactivates, with Marida falling out of the cockpit. In space, the ''Nahel Argama ''halts its descent into the atmosphere, and they plan to tether with the Garencieres. Liam Borrinea notes that their target ship is the ''Garencieres, ''but Otto says that the orders were from Bright. However, the ''Garencieres ''is forced to descend due to a lack of fuel, but Banagher and two Geara Zulus try to push the ship from behind. Though the Garencieres doesn't have enough thrust to make it to the ''Nahel Argama, ''the ship launches its tether as do they. Banagher activates the Unicorn's NT-D once more and grabs both tethers, acting as a link for both ships. Despite being warned that the Gundam will be torn apart, Banagher gets some help from the spirits of Daguza Mackle and Gilboa Sant causes the psycoframe color to turn green, covering both ships in a psycoframe luminesence. From Earth, Bright is pleased at the sight, while on board the ''Klimit, ''Alberto and Marida are shocked. Inside the hangar, however, Riddhe walks up to the pilotless Banshee, cursing it. The two ships get into space, but their victory is short-lived with the appearance of the ''General Revil, ''flagship of the Federation's Orbital Fleet. Flaste thinks they were lured into a trap, but Mineva tells him that the ships angle was mean to take out both the ''Nahel Argama ''and the ''Garencieres. ''Banagher tries to launch the Unicorn, but he is out of fuel. Both ships then get assistance from the arrival of Angelo Sauper and his new YAMS-132 Rozen Zulu, which decimates most of the ''General Revil's ''MS contingency. Banagher spots a red mobile suit, and realizes it's Full Frontal's MSN-06S Sinanju. which launches as rocket towards the ''General Revil. '' Gallery Ep5 Black Unicorn.img.jpg Notes & Trivia *This episode was edited into three episodes for ''Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096: Banagher Links, Soldier, Clash of the Two Unicorns, and Waiting in Space. External links *Black Unicorn Official Summary on Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Official Website